Wood coating composition comprising cholesterol,glyceride oil or squalene and a liquid fatty acid

ABSTRACT

COMPOSITIONS WHICH CONSIST ESSENTIALLY OF CHOLESTROL OR AN OIL SELECTED FROM A GLYCERIDE OIL SQUALENE IN A NORMALLY FATTY ACID SUCH AS OLEIC ACID AS A SOLVENT ARE FOUND TO PROVIDE NOVEL WOOD PROCESSING AND FINISHING FORMULATIONS. THE COMPOSITIONS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY EXTRAORDINARILY DEEP WOOD-PENETRATING POWER AND AN ABILITY TO ENDOW WOOD WITH UNUSUAL PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES. OTHER ADVANTAGES OF THE COMPOSITIONS RESIDE IN THEIR ABILITY TO (1) RESTORE USUAL SHEEN, ADD DESIRED SHEEN AND ENHANCE OR IMPROVE COLOR, (2) BRING OUT THE NATURAL BEAUTY AND TRUE COLOR OF WOOD, (3) REMOVE SPOTS AND CONCEL MARKS OR SCRATCHES.

United States Patent Office 3,674,524 Patented July 4, 1972 3,674,524 WOOD COATING COMPOSITION COMPRISING CHOLESTEROL, GLYCERIDE OIL OR SQUAL- ENE AND A LIQUID FATTY ACID Gertrude S. Littlepage, 3410 38th St, Washington, D.C. 20016 No Drawing. Filed July 22, 1970, Ser. No. 57,346 Int. Cl. C08h 9/00 U.S. Cl. 106-243 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Compositions which consist essentially of cholestrol or an oil selected from a glyceride oil squalene in a normally fatty acid such as oleic acid as a solvent are found to provide novel wood processing and finishing formulations. The compositions are characterized by extraordinarily deep Wood-penetrating power and an ability to endow wood with unusual protective properties. Other advantages of the compositions reside in their ability to (1) restore usual sheen, add desired sheen and enhance or improve color, (2) bring out the natural beauty and true color of wood, (3) remove spots and conceal marks or scratches.

This invention relates to an oil composition for the processing and finishing of raw woods, and the polishing of finished wood products. More particularly the invention is directed to a deep-penetrating oil composition which protects raw, unfinished woods impregnated with it as well as bringing out the full natural beauty of the wood, and which protects finished Wood products to which it is ap plied as a furniture polish.

A variety of wood finishing, processing or polishing compositions are known and currently marketed. None to my knowledge are entirely free from criticism, however. For instance, many wood finishing or processing compositions have a strong tendency to leave a surface oiliness which is not only per se objectionable but is inclined to pick up dust. Other popular wood or furniture treating compositions have a wax base which on continued application tend to build up a yellowed coating which causes an appearance of discoloration. Some processing or finishing compositions, although providing the wood with a clean shiny surface are totally inadequate from the standpoint of providing the wood with a significant degree of protection. Penetration of these prior art formulations into the wood is frequently found to be minimal.

Another common shortcoming of known wood furniture oil formulations is their inability to meet all of the desired characteristics of a wood finishing, processing or polishing oil formulation. Efforts to develop a formulation which exhibits an improvement in one desired property often adversely affects other properties desired in the formulation.

One object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a wood processing composition characterized by its extraordinarily deep wood-penetrating power and its ability to endow wood with unusual protective properties.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wood processing formulation and method which brings out the deep, truly natural beauty of the woods.

A further object of the invention is to provide a furniture formulation characterized by its ability to restore usual sheen, add desired sheen, improve or enhance sheen.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a formulation and process for essentially removing from fumiture, spots such as are caused by alcohol, water and the like and for concealing marks and scratches on furniture and eliminating surface damage of Water, alcohol, heat, etc.

A further object is to provide a wood and furniture formulation which is non-combustible, free from residue build-up and resistant to oxidative degradation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a formulation which possesses waterand alcohol-proofing qualities and resists discoloration and scarring from heat.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by a composition which consists essentially of cholesterol or an oil selected from a glyceride oil andsqualene is a normally liquid fatty acid as a solvent. Mixtures of glyceride oils and mixtures of one or more glyceride oils and squaleneare also contemplated by the present invention.

The fatty acids of the composition of the invention may be saturated or unsaturated and include the normally liquid fatty acids of 4 to 20 carbon atoms. The preferred fatty acids are the olefinic fatty acids, particularly the fatty acids of about 18 carbon atoms. Illustrative of suitable saturated acids of the fatty acids series are butyric, isovaleric, caproic, caprlyic and capric acids. Suitable olefinic acids include oleic, ricinoleic, petroselinic, vaccenic, linoleic linolenic, eleostearic, licanic and parinaric acids. The fatty acid component of the invention may constitute a single normally liquid fatty acid or a mixture of such acids. Especially preferred for use in the invention is oleic acid.-

The fatty acid component of the invention acts as a solvent for the cholesterol and/ or oil components of the composition. The actual amount used, therefore, will vary depending upon the cholesteroland oil-solubilizing characteristics of the particular fatty acid component selected. 'In all instances, however, a sufficient amount of the fatty acid component is utilized to solubilize the cholesterol and/or oil component.

The glyceride oils that may be employed in the present invention include animal, vegetable (including fruit), and fish oils, or from another point of classification, the drying, semi-drying and non-drying oils. The preferred glyceride oils are the unsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable oils. As illustrative of these oils there may included rice bran oil, cotton seed oil, boiled and raw linseed oils, lemon oil, oliver oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, castor oil, fish liver oils, sperm oil, tung oil, whale oil and the like.

The concentration of cholesterol in the composition of the invention will be at least 4% by volume up to as much as the fatty acid solvent component is capable of solubilizing, usually up to about 20% by volume cholesterol. In general, the ratio of parts by volume of fatty acid per part by volume of chloesterol is general 1y about 3 to 10:1. The concentration of the oil component in the composition of the invention, on the other hand is at least about 15% by volume again up to as much as the selected fatty acid component can effectively solubilize, which is ordinarily about 92% by volume.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, however, includes both the cholesterol and oil components. It has been found the inclusion of both of these ingredients in the composition of the invention further enhances the color tones brought out of the woods, increases the sheen of the surfaces and increases the protective potential of the composition. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the amount of the oil component present will ordinarily be in a ratio of about 1 to 20 parts, preferably about 3 to 15 parts by volume per part of volume of cholesterol. The optimum proportions will depend of course upon the fatty acid employed and the particular wood being treated.

Preparation of the composition of the invention is accomplished by simply mixing the ingredients together utilizing any of the mixing means and techniques available in the art. With few exceptions, shaking of the ingredients will produce a homogeneous solution. Shaking is ordinarily necessary with compositions containing greater then 1 parts of oil; with less parts oil used it goes into and maintains a homogeneous solution. Any order of mixing may be used but it is advantageous in those cases where the oil component is included, to first blend the cholesterol into the fatty acid component and then add the oil component into the blend of cho lesterol and fatty acid. The oil component may be added incrementally if desired but incremental addition is ordinarily unnecessary to obtain a homogeneous solution.

Compositions of the invention may be provided with minor amounts of any other conventional addenda frequently added to wood processing, polishing, finishing or water-proofing compositions. Such addenda include, for instance, coloring agents, stabilizers, waxes, other solvents, preservatives, viscosity improvers, other oils such as mineral oils, vegetable oils and the like.

The compositions of the invention find a host of uses. For example, they may be employed in the processing of unfinished or raw woods. In wood processing, the compositionis merely coated on the wood surface which is preferably sanded to a desired smoothness. The coated composition soon penetrates deeply into the wood, endowing the wood with unusual protective properties while simultaneously bringing out the natural beauty of the wood. The process may be repeated and several coats applied up until the wood reaches a saturation point, that is, the point where the wood will no longer absorb anymore of the composition.

Wood coated or impregnated with the compositions of the invention may be further coated with conventional finishing materials when the composition has been completely absorbed by the Wood and finds excellent compatibility therewith. Such materials include, for instance, lacquer, shellac, varnish, synthetic coating compositions such as polyurethanes and the like.

The compositions also find extensive utility in the treating of finished furniture or wood which contains a film or coating of conventional finishing compositions such as the natural or synthetic resin-containing furniture compositions, e.g. shellac, varnish, lacquer, etc., that has been marred, scratched, cracked, spotted, and the like or has lost its sheen.

In the treatment of finished woods, application of the compositions of the invention may be made directly to that portion requiring treatment. If desired, however, the portion to be treated may be preliminarily prepared as by sanding, staining and the like. Also, after application of the composition it may be advisable to rub the coated surface with steel Wool to facilitate and/ or achieve optimum results.

Another utility of the composition of the invention is as a water-proofing agent. In addition to wood, other materials such as leather, paper and the like may be EXAMPLE I This example is included to demonstrate the protective properties of the composition of the inventon on lacquerfinished wood.

A sample of Honduran mahogany was sanded smooth and coated with lacquer. After the lacquer coating had dried it was sanded, first with medium-fine sandpaper and then with extra-fine sandpaper. There was then applied a coating of lacquer thinned with an equal portion of lacquer thinner. When dry the lacquer-finished piece of wood was rubbed lightly with steel wool to remove the excessive shine and then tested as follows:

Separate drops of (A) cold tap water (B) hot boiling water and (C) isopropyl alcohol, each approximately the size of a quarter, were placed on the sample of finished wood. When the drops had evaporated the wood sample was examined. Each of the areas on which the tap water, boiling water and isopropyl alcohol were noticeably discolored.

After three separate applications of a composition of the invention comprising 1 part of cholesterol, 4 parts of oleic acid and 3 parts of rice bran oil, the discoloration had essentially disappeared.

EXAMPLE II Onto raw, unfinished cherry wood samples were applied compositions of cholesterol, oleic acid and rice bran oil in the following proportions:

Proportions Cholesterol Oleie acid Rice bran oil Composition:

HHHHHHH anew-teeth mmoocnwwn Compositions A-E of Example I were similarly tested on the woods checked in the table below. In each case, a barely discernible mark was observed.

Composition Philippine mahogany Honduran Maple Walnut Birch mahogany Cherry No'rE.-Biank spaces indicate formula not, done on that wood.

impregnated with the compositions of the invention to EXAMPLE IV To a sample of raw walnut wood was applied an oil composition of 10 parts of rice bran oil and 1 part of oleic acid until full unsaturation, that is, the point at which the wood would not accept or absorb more of the oil composition. The impregnated wood sample was subjected to the (A) cold water, (B) boiling water and isopropyl alcohol test described in Example I. For comparison, an untreated walnut sample was subjected to the same tests. The untreated sample of raw wood was noticeably discolored. A hardly discernible mark or discoloration was noted on the treated sample.

EXAMPLE V EXAMPLE VI To a sample of raw maple was applied an oil composition of 4 parts oleic acid and 1 part of cholesterol until saturation. The impregnated wood sample was subjected to the (A) cold water, (B) boiling water and isopropyl alcohol test described in Example I. For comparison, an untreated maple sample was subjected to the same tests. The untreated sample of raw wood was noticeably discolored. A hardly discernible mark or discoloration was noted on the treated sample.

EXAMPLE VII Onto a raw, unfinished cherry wood sample was applied a composition of 1 part cholesterol, 4 parts oleic acid and 1 part squalene. The treated sample was subjected to the tap water, hot boiling water and isopropyl alcohol tests described in Example I. No discoloration and a barely discernible mark was noted.

EXAMPLE VIII Three coats of composition C of Example II were applied as polish to one-half of a lacquer-finished desk drawer. No application was made to the other half. Both halves of the drawer subjected to three tests described in Example I. The untreated half of the drawer exhibited a cracked look in the area subjected to the tap water test and was dead white in the areas subjected to the isopropyl alcohol and boiling water tests. Essentially no marring or discoloration was evident on the treated half of the desk drawer.

It is claimed:

1. A wood, finishing, processing and polishing composition capable of forming a substantially homogeneous solution consisting essentially of at least 4% cholesterol, at least 15% by volume of an oil selected from glyceride oil and squalene in a normally liquid fatty acid as a solvent, the ratio of said fatty acid to said cholesterol being about 3 to 10:1.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the normally liquid fatty acid is an olefinic fatty acid of 18 carbon atoms.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the olefinic fatty acid is oleic acid.

4. The composition of claim 2 wherein the olefinic fatty acid is linoleic acid.

5. The composition of claim 2 wherein the olefinic fatty acid is linolenic acid.

6. The composition of claim 2. wherein about 3 to 4 parts of said fatty acid per part of cholesterol are employed.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the fatty acid is oleic acid.

8. The composition of claim 6 wherein the oil is rice bran oil.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein both cholesterol and glyceride oil are present in a ratio of up to 20 parts by volume of glyceride oil per part of cholesterol.

10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the fatty acid is oleic acid and the glyceride oil is rice bran oil.

11. A wood processing or finishing composition consisting essentially of about 3 to 4 parts of oleic acid and about 1 part of cholesterol and about 3 to 12 parts of rice 'bran oil.

References Cited Kritchevsky, D. et a1. Solubility of Cholesterol in Various Fats and Oils 1964, P.S.E.B.M. 1964, vol. 116, copy 146.

Chem. Abst., vol. 48: 1186b, 1954.

THEODORE MORRIS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. ll7149, 167 

